---
title: "Accessibility Checker Rule Help: WCAG20_Img_HasAlt"
---
import "../../../styles/ToolHelp.scss"
import { CodeSnippet, Tag } from "carbon-components-react";

<div className="toolHelp">
<Row>
<Column colLg={16} colMd={8} colSm={4} className="toolHead">

### Image does not have a short text alternative

<div id="locLevel"></div>

Images that convey meaning must have a short text alternative

</Column>
</Row>
<Row>
<Column colLg={11} colMd={5} colSm={4} className="toolMain">



<div id="locSnippet"></div>

### What to do

* If the image conveys meaning, use the `alt` attribute on the `<img>` element to provide a short description that serves the same purpose as the image. If the image contains important words, include them in the short description (e.g. `<img alt="submit">`);
* OR, if the image is decorative or redundant, use the `alt` attribute with an empty string as its value (e.g. `<img alt="">`).

</Column>
<Column colLg={5} colMd={3} colSm={4} className="toolLeft">

### About this requirement

[IBM 1.1.1 Non-text content](https://www.ibm.com/able/requirements/requirements/#1_1_1)
[WCAG 2.1 technique H37](https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/Techniques/html/H37)

### Who does this affect?

* People using a screen reader, including blind, low vision and neurodivergent people
* People who turn off image-loading on their web browsers
* People using text only, monochrome or braille displays
* People using text-based browsers (e.g., Lynx) or audio interfaces

### Why is this important

When an image contains important information, providing a text alternative makes the same information accessible through audio or other channels.

</Column>
</Row>
</div>

export default ({ children, _frontmatter }) => (<React.Fragment>{children}</React.Fragment>)
